Alexandra Eala: From Eastbourne breakthrough to Wimbledon 2025 debut on July 1
Filipina steps onto biggest tennis stag, faces defending champ Barbora Krejcikova
Manila: Filipina tennis star Alexandra Eala is making her Wimbledon main draw today (July 1), stepping onto Centre Court at the world’s biggest tennis stage.
Her campaign starts with a high-stakes first-round match against no less than the defending champ, Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic.
Alex is grateful for the opportunity. "I'm playing the Centre Court on my Wimbledon debut. I couldn't ask for more," she told local channel ABS-CBN.
Date: July 1, Tuesday
Time: 1.30 PM (UK), 4.30 PM (UAE), 8:30 PM (Philippines)
Venue: Centre Court, All England Club, London
Opponent: Barbora Krejcikova (Wimbledon 2024 champion, French Open 2021 winner)
Eala arrives at Wimbledon riding the momentum of a historic run at the Eastbourne Open, where she became the first Filipino to reach a WTA Tour final on grass.
Despite holding four championship points, the 20-year-old fell to Australia’s Maya Joint in a thrilling three-set tiebreaker.
Reflecting on the loss, Eala said, “I’ll take this experience and move forward. Wimbledon’s next, and that’s my full focus now.”
Her Eastbourne performance boosted her WTA ranking to a career-high No. 56, jumping 18 spots from No. 74.
Miami and French Open runs
Earlier in the year, she broke into the Top 70 following a semifinal run at the Miami Open and her French Open debut.
Eala’s 2025 grass-court season includes a Round of 32 exit at the Lexus Birmingham Open, a quarterfinal appearance at the Lexus Ilkley Open (WTA 125), and a first-round loss at the Nottingham Open before her Eastbourne breakthrough.
At Wimbledon, Alex faces a formidable opponent in Barbora Krejcikova, who is returning from injury but brings a wealth of experience, including seven Grand Slam doubles titles and an Olympic gold medal.
Krejcikova admitted: “To be honest, I don’t really know that much about her yet. She’s one of the new generation players. It’s going to be a great matchup.”
Wimbledon 2025 highlights
Top women’s seeds include Aryna Sabalenka (1), Coco Gauff (2), Jessica Pegula (3), and Jasmine Paolini (4).
The tournament features electronic line-calling replacing human judges for the first time.
Both singles finals now start at 4 PM local time.
Wimbledon remains the only Grand Slam with 14 days of play.
Fans in the Philippines can watch Eala’s matches live on SPOTV, while US viewers can tune in via ESPN/ABC and Tennis Channel.
Alex’s journey from Eastbourne heartbreak to Wimbledon spotlight embodies determination.
Her London appearance also exemplifies national pride: Alex carries the hopes of the Philippines onto Wimbledon, the world’s biggest tennis stage.
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